Chapter 26: What’s with This Feeling of Being a Father?

He Lian’s thick fingers gripped the handle of the small spoon. The rabbit-eared design contrasted starkly with his rugged appearance. He blew gently on the porridge at his lips before offering it to Jiang Yu: “Be a good girl, A-Yu. Open wide.”

Jiang Yu lowered her head and drank it.

As the warm, sweet flavor slid down her throat, a relaxed smile touched her lips.

Watching the slight upturn of the girl’s lips, He Lian unconsciously grinned along. After feeding her a few more spoonfuls, he picked up a piece of pumpkin to bring to her lips, only to hit the brakes halfway.

Jiang Yu looked at him in confusion.

He Lian made a few gestures, chopping the pumpkin into tiny pieces right on the plate, then pressing down with the back of the spoon to carefully craft a pumpkin puree.

Jiang Yu let out a quiet, subtle sigh in secret.

He Lian truly loved to fuss over every little detail.

And she was truly starving.

After the meal, He Lian lowered the adjustable bed, leaning forward to speak soft words: “Little fool, take a nap first. When you wake up, I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes instantly widened.

Home?

Back to the Song family?

He Lian regretted it!

Like a knee-jerk reaction, she grabbed He Lian’s finger in a vice grip!

The man tilted his shoulders. Seeing her panic and lose composure, he immediately realized his slip, sat by the bed, and comforted her softly: “It’s alright, we’re not going back to the old residence. We’re going to Jinzhou. I’m taking you home to Jinzhou.”

Jiang Yu was still haunted by lingering fear, staring at him intently.

What if she fell asleep and opened her eyes only to find herself back in that damp wooden tower?

She was too terrified.

Terrified that everything before her eyes was merely a deathbed dream.

He Lian frowned slightly, feeling a bitter ache in his heart.

Just what kind of abuse had this little fool suffered to be so terrified of the word “home”?

He nudged Jiang Yu’s shoulders to lay her down: “Relax, don’t be afraid, okay?”

Jiang Yu remained somewhat agitated.

He Lian thought for a moment and stopped trying to stand up: “Then I’ll stay here with you. I won’t leave.”

Only then did Jiang Yu close her eyes, though her long lashes trembled continuously.

No one knew how much time had passed before her breathing finally became slow and even.

He Lian lowered his gaze. Unexposed to sunlight for years, Jiang Yu was excessively pale; those slender fingers clutching his wheat-toned wrist created a striking visual contrast.

Lifting his gaze again, he looked at the sleeping girl.

Her small, pointed face rested sideways in her ink-black hair. Her thick lashes, delicate nose, and lips—moistened after drinking water—looked pure and supple.

In a word: vibrant!

Recalling the last time he helped Jiang Yu dress and inadvertently caught a glimpse of her striking radiance, He Lian used his free hand to uncomfortably rub his neck, awkwardly turning his head to the side.

“…”

Li Meng was looking at him from the window outside the door.

Straightening his posture, He Lian made a hand gesture.

Li Meng pushed the door open and entered. Just as he was about to speak, he caught He Lian glaring at him, so he quickly lowered his voice and crept close to his ear.

“President, we’ve already alerted the enemy this time. Let’s have the Third Team fall back to Jinzhou first. If they stay here, those drug traffickers probably won’t show their faces for a long time.”

He Lian agreed, taking another glance at Jiang Yu: “Alright.”

Li Meng followed his gaze.

She really was a very pretty girl.

No, a very pretty silly kid.

He Lian nudged him, completely unconcerned with what others thought, muttering under his breath: “Look at this little fool. Even after being raised like that by the Song family, she’s still so good-looking.”

Li Meng: “…”

Feeling that something was off, he couldn’t hold back and blurted out: “President, why do I feel like you’ve suddenly become a doting father?”

He Lian shot him a razor-sharp glare.

Li Meng: “Seriously, when my sister-in-law had her baby, my brother looked exactly like you do now.”

“…Get out of here.”

He Lian pulled his hand back and walked out into the corridor with Li Meng.

The door was softly closed.

He Lian asked him: “How is that maid, Su He?”

“She’s fine,” Li Meng replied. “Just superficial injuries. I asked around; she was a student sponsored by Jiang Yu’s mother. Knowing that Jiang Yu was suffering at the old residence, she ran over to take care of her.”

He Lian rubbed his fingertips together, his eyes revealing appreciation and respect.

She was indeed a person who valued loyalty and gratitude.

“Then why did the Song family want to kill Jiang Yu? Did she say?”

“I heard Old Master Song left his entire inheritance to Jiang Yu.” Li Meng shook his head. “It’s probably because of that. Su He didn’t say anything else; she didn’t seem to know much.”

This answer aligned perfectly with what He Lian had surmised.

Killing for money.

His face gradually darkened.

“Release Su He, give her some money, and have her go as far away as possible. Tell her not to meddle with the Song family anymore.”

Seeing through his thoughts, Li Meng cautioned anxiously: “President, it’s best not to touch the Song family for now. You acted on your own authority at the old residence, and the Ministry of National Security has already issued a penalty. If you cause more trouble, I’m afraid… it won’t be good.”

“After all, Old Master Song and the Duan family are old acquaintances. You broke off the engagement first, then turned around, took the girl, and threw a massive rampage. Even I think it’s crossing the line. If this really ends up dragging down Uncle He and causing him to lose the election in Jinggang, you’ll be in deep trouble.”

“Besides, it was an emergency back then and there’s no bodycam footage. Aside from you, who would believe that they were trying to kill Jiang Yu?”

He Lian looked sideways at him.

Li Meng: “Of course, I believe it.”

He Lian bit his lip slightly. Li Meng wasn’t wrong, but swallowing this indignation felt no different from choking down a dead fly.

Li Meng: “At any rate, you’ve already brought Jiang Yu out.” He made a severing hand gesture. “Let the matter end here. Neither you nor the Song family should pursue it further, allowing both sides to save face. After all, they are the local overlords of Yangcity.”

After a moment’s thought, He Lian realized this was the only option.

“However,” Li Meng added, “taking Jiang Yu to Jinzhou… where are you going to raise her? Should we send her to the Old Master’s place to let a nanny take care of her?”

He Lian: “No. She can’t be away from me.”

Li Meng: “Did Jiang Yu say that herself?”

He Lian: “I can feel it.”

Li Meng rubbed the bridge of his nose in helplessness.

When he looked up again, he saw He Lian leaning forward, staring unblinkingly at Jiang Yu through the window.

Li Meng wanted to speak, but didn’t dare.

When his brother stood outside the incubator looking at his little nephew back then, he had assumed that exact same posture.

The following day, a helicopter landed in Jinzhou.

Ye Xun, leader of the Citadel’s Second Team, was waiting on-site with his men. Leaning against the frontmost Jeep and lazily smoking a cigarette, he saw Li Meng and Zhuang Yumian disembarking from the military helicopter and waved from afar.

“Hey! Where’s our boss!”

Zhuang Yumian wore a cold, aloof expression, ignoring him completely.

Li Meng simply spread his hands.

Ye Xun assumed their low spirits were due to the failed arrest.

Just as he took two steps forward, he saw two more people descending from the helicopter.

His grinning face froze instantly.

The man’s long legs took very tiny, constrained steps, swaying like a little girl’s, while the little girl beside him swung her arms wildly, walking with a grand, swaggering stride.

Both of their walking postures were extremely odd, yet their speed was identical.

Believing his eyes were playing tricks on him, Ye Xun rubbed them vigorously. Suddenly, his arm was pulled down, and Li Meng said with a mix of amusement and exasperation: “Rub any harder and you’ll go blind.”

Ye Xun pointed a finger: “A mirage?”

Li Meng: “…”

Indeed, anyone who witnessed this scene would feel their mind go numb.

He Lian kept his head tilted down sideways the entire time.

Walking on sandy ground consumed a lot of energy.

Yet Jiang Yu insisted on walking by herself. Watching her clumsy attempts at navigating the flat ground as if rock climbing, the man couldn’t help but feel amused.

Warm laughter hovered above her head, but Jiang Yu had no mind to care. It was her first time seeing this vast expanse of yellow sand and desert. She stared with wide eyes, looking back and forth like a bewildered fly.

Her hair brushed against He Lian’s arm, and his laughter grew louder: “Like it?”

Jiang Yu nodded in genuine sincerity.

Ignoring Ye Xun’s ghost-fearing expression, He Lian used his free left hand to push him aside into a stagger. He then reached under Jiang Yu’s armpits, lifted her up, and set her right on top of the Jeep’s roof, patting her side: “Then take a good look!”

Exposed to the blazing sun for hours, the vehicle roof was somewhat hot. Jiang Yu stood up cautiously.

From this height, the vast desert stretched endlessly beyond the horizon. At the skyline, the setting sun cast a soft, gentle glow, mixing with the dry wind that blew against her face, filling her hollow eyes.

Jiang Yu’s neat, dark hair was blown into a mess, and a joyful smile appeared on her face where the others couldn’t see.

She opened her slender arms and closed her eyes.

Savoring the long-lost freedom.

So the sun in Jinzhou was this beautiful.

At Nadawan during sunset—

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